Lewes vs Cray Wanderers
Isthmian Premier – Saturday 6th September, Match Report
Lewes 2
Hamouchene 11, Chadwick 33
Cray Wanderers 2
Nzala 78, Taylor 90+5
Pics: Steve Cullum
Cray Wanderers showed some great powers of recovery to come back from two goals down at the break to pick up a gritty point at a Lewes side that were reduced to ten men in the second half with Ashley Nzala and Quade Taylor scoring their first goals for the Wands.
Cray were not quite at the races first half and trailed courtesy of a smart finish from ex-Wand Arezki Hamouchene in the 11th minute. Although the game evened out for a while, the Rooks who were unbeaten in four league games added a high quality second swept in by Finlay Chadwick in the 33rd minute.
The second half saw a good reaction from Cray who lessened the Lewes threat and the home side were reduced to ten men in the 62nd minute when Kaan Bennett was dismissed for two cautions.
Two Wands substitutes helped save the day for Tim O’Shea’s side and twelve minutes from time Ashley Nzala pulled a goal back from Chris Dickson’s layoff to make it 2-1.
There was plenty of time to go and in ten minutes additional time the Wands levelled when following a delivery into the box Alex Hernandez’s shot was blocked and fell invitingly to Quade Taylor to turn the ball in for like Nzala’s his first goal for Cray Wanderers.
The Dripping Pan is not one of the Wands happy hunting grounds with the last win back in 2019 and it was a sunny afternoon down on the South Coast as two teams who have made good starts to the league season locked horns and looking to bounce back from FA Cup defeats last week.
For the Wands there were four changes to the side which lost at Hanwell Town last Tuesday with the welcome return of Tom Bonner plus Remi Sutton from injury, Josh Williams returned and there was a debut for ex-Billericay Town and Welling United midfielder Ben Wells in place of Marc-Anthony Okoye, Jamie Watson, Ashley Nzala and Quade Taylor.
There were three changes for Lewes from the side beaten at Flackwell Heath in the FA Cup with Kaan Bennett, Finlay Chadwick and Jack Burchell coming in for Mark Swainston, Devonte West and Callum Erskine.
The match pitted fourth vs eighth in the league with ex-Wand Bradley Pritchard in charge of Lewes and former Rooks boss Tim O’Shea for the Wands. Both sides were committed to attack but the first half belonged very much to the home side in a game of few chances.
Lewes had the first shooting chance in the fifth minute when Arezki Hamouchene who had a spell with the Wands last season tested Harry Seaden with a low shot.
Then in the 11th minute Lewes took the lead as down the right Kaan Bennett set up Hamouchene for a smart finish from just inside the area.
Cray looked to get back into it but any chances to get the ball into the box usually ended with comfortable claims from keeper Louis Rogers.
The game looked to be evening out but in the 33rd minute Lewes made it two nil with a quality strike following a right wing corner, with the ball falling to Finlay Chadwick who just found a bit of space out on the right to curl a terrific shot wide of Harry Seaden and into the top left corner.
Before half time Cray threatened at least to reduce the arrears and Josh Williams saw a shot deflected behind for a corner. From the left wing corner from Lateef Adaja the ball came to Alex Hernandez who placed a header wide of goal.
Unfortunately for the Wands and supporters many thoughts were with supporter Brian Dean who needed medical treatment following a fall during the entirety of the half. We thank Ally Maloney who was present with Brian at all times and the Lewes staff and paramedics who helped Brian leave the ground. The second half was dedicated to Brian.
HT: 2-0
The second half began for the Wands with three substitutes with Frankie Raymond, Quade Taylor and Chris Dickson coming on for Ben Wells, George Brooke and Nods Bobomurodov. There was a blow for Cray just four minutes into the half when Prosper Keto had to leave the field with a knock and was replaced by Ashley Nzala.
Cray had much more of the ball in the early stages of the second half but couldn’t quite create that one big chance or to test Rogers in the Lewes goal.
Lewes almost added a third when substitute Devonte West fired in a shot from out on the left which Seaden did well to fingertip over for a corner.
That was the last real chance Lewes created and in the 62nd minute moments after picking up a caution Kaan Bennett was shown a second yellow for a foul in midfield.
The Wands looked to get back into the game and Ashley Nzala set up Chris Dickson for a shot off target.
Then in the 78th minute Cray got the goal they needed when Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera down the left found Ashley Nzala who played a pass to Chris Dickson who slipped a great return ball through to Nzala who from inside the area fired under Rogers to make it 2-1.
Cray had time to find a leveller but the game just threatened to come to the boil after a clash near the benches which led to a brief melee which saw Tim O’Shea booked and a member of the Lewes coaching staff sent to the stands.
Due to the rather stop-start nature of the second half there were ten minutes additional time and in the fifth minute Cray got the goal which perhaps they deserved when after Josh Williams saw a shot deflected for a corner. From the right wing corner, Williams played the ball short to Lateef Adaja who in turn found Frankie Raymond who set up Williams for a shot that was deflected off Clem Asiedu and fell to Quade Taylor who lifted the ball over Rogers and into the net.
There was still time for a winner and Cray almost grabbed a winner when Williams cross was glanced over by Taylor but in the end a point was a just reward for the Wands second half performance. Cray moved up one place to 7th with the point on eleven points with Lewes in 6th on thirteen points.
Cray will next be in action in the Kent Senior Cup on Tuesday night vs Herne Bay at Flamingo Park with the next league match at Carshalton Athletic next Saturday, 13th September, 3 pm.
Lewes: Louis Rogers, Clem Asiedu, Ryan Bernal (Callum Erskine, 90+9), Ian Gayle (Capt.), Antonio Morgan, Finlay Chadwick, Arezki Hamouchene (Jordan Maguire-Drew, 64), Jabari Christmas (Mark Swainston, 64), Kaan Bennett, Walter Figueira (Devonte West, H/T), Jack Burchell
Sent Off: Bennett 62 (2 cautions)
Booked: Asiedu 46, Bennett 57, Bernal 75
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Prosper Keto (Ashley Nzala, 49), Remi Sutton (Jamie Watson, 74), Tom Bonner (Capt), Ben Wells (Frankie Raymond, H/T), George Brooke (Quade Taylor, H/T), Nods Bobomurodov (Chris Dickson, H/T), Lateef Adaja, Josh Williams, Alex Hernandez
Booked: Bonner 42
Referee: Scott Crowhurst
Assistants: Chris Finlay-Greer, Pete Andrews
Att: 878
